90

CH 90.
Andrianne didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t face Lucas after what she just saw and heard in his office. The thought of him having a baby with Emily made her sick to her stomach. She knew she had to get away from him and the mansion. She couldn’t bear to be in the same room as him, let alone the same house.
Jackie could see the distress on her friend’s face and knew something was wrong. She tried to get Andrianne to talk to her, but Andrianne remained silent. She just wanted to be left alone.
As the day went by, Andrianne started to feel a little better. Being away from the mansion and Lucas seemed to ease her pain a bit. Jackie tried to distract her by taking her shopping and to a spa. Andrianne appreciated the effort, but her mind was still consumed by thoughts of Lucas and Emily.
That night, as they were getting ready for bed, Jackie gently asked Andrianne if she wanted to talk about what was bothering her. Andrianne hesitated at first, but then broke down and told Jackie everything she had seen and heard in Lucas’s office.
“He lied to me, Jackie. He told me he had nothing to do with Emily and now I find out he’s having a baby with her. How could he do this to me?” Andrianne sobbed.
Jackie listened patiently and then said, “I’m sorry you had to find out like this, Andrianne. Lucas should have told you the truth. But you have to understand that he probably didn’t want to hurt you. Maybe he thought he could handle it on his own.”
“But a baby, Jackie. That’s a big deal. How can he just keep something like that from me?”
“I don’t know, Andrianne. All I know is that you have to talk to him. You can’t keep running away from your problems. You have to face them head-on.”
Andrianne sighed. She knew Jackie was right, but she didn’t know if she was ready to face Lucas just yet. She needed some time to process everything.
“Can I stay here for a few more days, Jackie? I just need some time to think.”
“Of course, Andrianne. You can stay as long as you need to. I’m here for you.”
Andrianne hugged her friend and felt a sense of comfort wash over her. She knew she was lucky to have someone like Jackie in her life. She just hoped she could find the strength to face Lucas when the time came.
Andrianne had been holed up in Jackie’s house for a few days now. She was depressed, and she hadn’t been taking care of herself. She wasn’t eating properly and had stopped taking her medications. Jackie was growing increasingly worried about her friend’s mental health.
One day, while Andrianne was lying on the couch, staring blankly at the TV, Jackie came in with a tray of food. “Andrianne, you need to eat something,” she said, setting the tray down on the coffee table in front of her.
Andrianne didn’t respond. She just continued to stare at the TV. Jackie sighed and sat down next to her. “Listen, I know this is hard for you, but you can’t give up like this. You need to take care of yourself.”
“I can’t,” Andrianne whispered. “I just can’t. Everything is too much.”
Jackie put a comforting hand on Andrianne’s shoulder. “I know it’s hard, but you’re not alone. You have me, and I’ll always be here for you.”
Andrianne finally turned to look at her friend. “Thank you, Jackie. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
At that moment, the doorbell rang. Jackie frowned, wondering who it could be. She got up and went to answer it. When she opened the door, she found Lucas standing there.
“Jackie, please let me see her,” he said urgently. “I need to talk to her.”
Jackie crossed her arms and blocked the doorway. “I’m sorry, Lucas, but Andrianne doesn’t want to see you. She’s not in a good place right now, and I don’t want to make things worse for her.”
Lucas looked like he was about to argue, but then he seemed to deflate. “I understand. Can you at least tell her that I’m sorry and that I love her?”
“I’ll tell her,” Jackie promised. “But I don’t know if she’s ready to hear it yet.”
Lucas nodded and turned to leave. Jackie closed the door behind him and went back to the living room. Andrianne was still lying on the couch, but she looked a little more alert now.
“Who was that?” she asked.
“It was Lucas,” Jackie said carefully.
Andrianne’s eyes widened. “What did he want?”
“He wanted to see you, but I told him that you didn’t want to see him right now.”
Andrianne looked away. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive him.”
“I know,” Jackie said sympathetically. “But you can’t stay here forever. You need to face him eventually.”
Andrianne sighed. “I know. I just need some time to figure things out.”
Jackie nodded. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be here for you no matter what.”